Tech – Page 3

Google reveals Nano Banana 2 AI image model, coming to Gemini today

AI, Artificial Intelligence, generative ai, Google, nano banana, Tech / Paul Patrick / February 26, 2026

With Nano Banana 2, Google promises consistency for up to five characters at a time, along with accurate rendering of as many as 14 different objects per workflow. This, along with richer textures and “vibrant” lighting will aid in visual storytelling with Nano Banana 2. Google is also expanding the range of available aspect ratios and resolutions, from 512px square up to 4K widescreen.

So what can you do with Nano Banana 2? Google has provided some example images with associated prompts. These are, of course, handpicked images, but Nano Banana has been a popular image model for good reason. This degree of improvement seems believable based on past iterations of Nano Banana.

Google AI infographic — Prompt: High-quality flat lay photography creating a DIY infographic that simply explains how the water cycle works, arranged on a clean, light gray textured background. The visual story flows from left to right in clear steps. Simple, clean black arrows are hand-drawn onto the background to guide the viewer’s eye. The overall mood is educational, modern, and easy to understand. The image is shot from a top-down, bird’s-eye view with soft, even lighting that minimizes shadows and keeps the focus on the process. Credit: Google

AI museum comparison — Prompt: Create an image of Museum Clos Lucé. In the style of bright colored Synthetic Cubism. No text. Your plan is to first search for visual references, and generate after. Aspect ratio 16:9. Credit: Google

AI farm image — Create an image of these 14 characters and items having fun at the farm. The overall atmosphere is fun, silly and joyful. It is strictly important to keep identity consistent of all the 14 characters and items. Credit: Google

Google must be pretty confident in this model’s capabilities because it will be the only one available going forward. Starting now, Nano Banana 2 will replace both the standard and Pro variants of Nano Banana across the Gemini app, search, AI Studio, Vertex AI, and Flow.

In the Gemini app and on the website, Nano Banana 2 will be the image generator for the Fast, Thinking, and Pro settings. It’s possible there will eventually be a Nano Banana 2 Pro—Google tends to release elements of new model families one at a time. For now, it’s all “Flash” Image.

Google reveals Nano Banana 2 AI image model, coming to Gemini today Read More »

The Galaxy S26 is faster, more expensive, and even more chock-full of AI

AI, android, Galaxy s26, samsung, smartphones, Tech / Tim Belzer / February 25, 2026

Samsung’s Galaxy S26 series is available for preorder today and ships on March 11.

The Galaxy S26 lineup doesn’t change much on the outside. Credit: Samsung

There used to be countless companies making flagship Android phones, but a combination of factors has narrowed the field over time. Today, Samsung is the undisputed king of the Android device ecosystem with its Galaxy S line. So we can safely assume today’s Unpacked has revealed the most popular Android phones for the next year—the Galaxy S26 Ultra, Galaxy S26+, and Galaxy S26.

Samsung didn’t swing for the fences this time around, producing phones with a few cosmetic tweaks and upgraded internals. Meanwhile, Samsung is investing even more in AI, saying the S26 series includes the first “Agentic AI phones.” Despite limited hardware upgrades, the realities of component prices in the age of AI mean the prices of the two cheaper models have gone up by $100 this year. The Ultra remains at an already eye-watering $1,300.

Faster and more private

Looking at the Galaxy S26 family, you’d be hard-pressed to tell them apart from last year’s phones. The camera surround is different, and the measurements of the smallest and largest phone are ever so slightly different. You probably won’t be able to tell just by looking, but the S26 Ultra has regressed from titanium to aluminum, a reversion Apple also made with its latest high-end phones. This phone also retains its S Pen stylus.

Specs at a glance: Samsung Galaxy S26 series
	Galaxy S26 ($900)	Galaxy S26+ ($1,100)	Galaxy S26 Ultra ($1,300)
SoC	Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 (3 nm)	Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 (3 nm)	Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 (3 nm)
Memory	12GB	12GB	12GB, 16GB
Storage	256GB, 512GB	256GB, 512GB	256GB, 512GB, 1TB
Display	6.3-inch OLED, 10-bit color, 2340×1080, 1-120Hz	6.7-inch OLED, 10-bit color, 3120×1440, 1-120Hz	6.9-inch OLED, 10-bit color, 3120×1440, 1-120Hz, S Pen support
Cameras	50MP primary, f/1.8, 1.0 μm; 12MP ultrawide, f/2.2, 1.4 μm, 10MP 3x telephoto, f/2.4, 1.0 μm; 12MP selfie, f/2.2, 1.12 μm	50MP primary, f/1.8, 1.0 μm; 12MP ultrawide, f/2.2, 1.4 μm, 10MP 3x telephoto, f/2.4, 1.0 μm; 12MP selfie, f/2.2, 1.12 μm	200MP primary, f/1.4, 0.6 μm; 50MP ultrawide, f/1.9, 0.7 μm; 10MP 3x telephoto, f/2.4, 1.12 μm; 50MP 5x telephoto, f/2.9, 0.7 μm; 12MP selfie, f/2.2, 1.12 μm
Software	Android 16	Android 16	Android 16
Battery	4,300 mAh	4,900 mAh	5,000 mAh
Connectivity	Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, USB-C 3.2, Sub6 5G	Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, USB-C 3.2, Sub6 and mmWave 5G	Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, USB-C 3.2, Sub6 and mmWave 5G
Measurements	71.7×149.6×7.2 mm, 167g	75.8×158.4×7.3 mm, 190g	78.1×163.6×7.9 mm, 214 g

These phones will again have the latest Snapdragon flagship processor (in North America, Japan, and China) with customizations exclusive to Samsung. The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy is a 3 nm chip with third-gen Oryon CPU cores, an Adreno 840 GPU, and a powerful Hexagon NPU for on-device AI processing. Samsung promises double-digit performance gains across the board, which is what we hear every year.

Samsung flagship phones have extremely fast hardware, so they benchmark well. However, they also tend to heat up and throttle quickly during sustained use. Perhaps that won’t be as much of a problem with the S26 series. Samsung says it has implemented its largest vapor chamber ever to better control temperatures.

The batteries have also been redesigned for greater efficiency and charging speed, but the base model is the only one that saw a capacity boost (4,000 to 4,300 mAh). Charging speeds have gotten a much-needed increase at the Ultra level. Samsung has only said you can now get a 75 percent charge in 30 minutes using its most expensive phone—it peaks at 60 W, up from 45 W for the last Ultra.

Samsung has been using the same camera sensors for a few cycles now, and it’s not changing anything major this time around. The Ultra still has four cameras (including two telephotos) that top out with the 200 MP primary, and the S26+ and base model still have three cameras with a 50 MP primary. The apertures on the Ultra sensors are a bit wider to allow for brighter photos in challenging conditions. More interesting, though, is the option to record high-quality 8K video directly to an external drive. The S26 also brings support for the Advanced Professional Video (APV) codec.

While the display specs haven’t changed much, they are home to the phone’s most notable new feature: Privacy Display. As smartphone screens have improved, they have emphasized high brightness and wide viewing angles, which is what you want most of the time. However, that also makes it easy for people nearby to see what’s on your screen. With one tap, the S26 can make it harder for shoulder surfers to see what you’re doing.

Privacy Display prevents shoulder surfers from peeking at your screen. Credit: Samsung

Privacy Display uses a technology called Black Matrix, which activates “narrow pixels.” These pixels focus light more directly on the user to limit the viewing angle. Privacy Display can be activated system-wide as you like, but it can also be activated on a per-app basis or even just in the part of the screen where notifications appear.

What is an Agentic AI phone anyway?

Unsurprisingly, AI takes the lead with the S26 launch. Part of that is just Samsung following the zeitgeist, but companies can also add new AI capabilities to fill out spec sheets without a bunch of increasingly expensive hardware upgrades. In Samsung’s words, it has sought to have “AI integrated into every layer” of the Galaxy S26 experience.

That starts with expanded awareness of screen context. The company’s Now Brief feature, which is supposed to pull together useful information from across your apps, has not been very impressive so far. With the S26, Samsung is piping notification content into Now Brief, allowing it to remind you about things even if you never added them to your calendar or to-do list. Like many of Samsung’s Galaxy AI features, this data is processed on-device and won’t go to the cloud.

A Galaxy AI Nudge that helps you select photos.

In a similar vein, Galaxy AI is also getting “Nudges,” which look similar to Google’s Magic Cue on the Pixel 10 series. The Galaxy S26 will be able to suggest content and apps based on what’s happening on the screen. For example, Galaxy AI might see you want to share images and suggest the right ones, or perhaps it will check your calendar for openings to save you from switching apps. Of course, that assumes the AI will correctly recognize the context and call the right action.

AI features will also be expanding in Samsung’s stock apps. In the Browser, Samsung has partnered with Perplexity for a new “Ask AI” feature. Rather than juggling tabs to read original sources yourself, you can have the AI do it. It basically gives you a research report like you could get from Perplexity itself (or Gemini Deep Research), but it’s integrated with the browser. Samsung’s gallery app also gets expanded AI editing tools with the S26. These capabilities will really allow you to change the substance of photos, so Samsung has added a visible watermark to label them. We’ve asked if there are AI labels in the image metadata, like you get with some other editing systems.

AI-edited photos have a visible watermark. Credit: Samsung

A major component of Samsung’s “Agentic AI phone” pitch comes from a partnership with Google. For starters, Google’s AI-powered scam detection features in the Messaging app, previously exclusive to Pixels, will launch on the S26 in preview before expanding to more devices later. Circle to Search is getting an upgrade that lets it identify multiple objects in a single image—this is in testing on both the Pixel 10 series and the Galaxy S26.

The other Google tie-in is more in keeping with the goal of agentic AI. For the first time, Gemini will be able to handle multistep tasks for you. You can watch it work if you prefer, but this can also happen entirely in the background while you do other things. It’s a bit like the recently launched Chrome Auto Browse but for apps.

The selection of apps is pretty slim during this testing period. Samsung and Google say you’ll be able to order food and groceries in apps like DoorDash and Grubhub, and there will be a tie-in with Uber for both rides and food. Google currently says you should “supervise closely” when the agent is working on your behalf. So we’ll see how that goes.

When you can get it

Samsung is accepting preorders for its new phones starting today. You can get them at every mobile carrier or directly from Samsung’s website. Carriers will offer a variety of deals with monthly credits to reduce the sting of the new, higher prices. Samsung has enhanced trade-in values right now, which is a more straightforward way to get a discount if you have an old phone to unload. It’s offering up to $900 off instantly with an S25 Ultra or Z Fold 6 trade-in. Even a phone from a couple of years ago can cut the price of a Galaxy S26 way down.

S26 colors — The Galaxy S26 comes in a variety of understated colors. Credit: Samsung

The phones are available in violet cobalt, sky blue, white, and black at all retailers. Samsung’s exclusive colors this time are silver shadow and pink gold. Devices will be on shelves and the doorsteps of preorderers on or around March 11.

Ryan Whitwam is a senior technology reporter at Ars Technica, covering the ways Google, AI, and mobile technology continue to change the world. Over his 20-year career, he’s written for Android Police, ExtremeTech, Wirecutter, NY Times, and more. He has reviewed more phones than most people will ever own. You can follow him on Bluesky, where you will see photos of his dozens of mechanical keyboards.

The Galaxy S26 is faster, more expensive, and even more chock-full of AI Read More »

RAM now represents 35 percent of bill of materials for HP PCs

Desktops, HP, laptops, RAM, Tech / Kris Guyer / February 25, 2026

In an illustration of the severity of the current memory shortage, HP Inc. CFO Karen Parkhill said that RAM has gone from accounting for “roughly 15 percent to 18 percent” of HP PCs’ bill of materials in its fiscal Q4 2025 to “roughly 35 percent” for the rest of the year.

Parkhill was speaking during HP’s Q1 2026 earnings call, where the company said it expects the total addressable market for its Personal Systems business to decline by double digits this calendar year, as higher prices hurt customer demand.

“We have seen memory costs increase roughly 100 percent sequentially, and we do forecast that to further increase as we move into the fiscal year,” Parkhill said, per a transcript of the call by Seeking Alpha.

HP expects its financials to be most severely impacted by the RAM shortage in the second half of its fiscal year.

“We are seeing increased input costs driven primarily by the rising prices of DRAM and NAND,” Bruce Broussard, HP’s interim CEO and director, said. “We expect this volatility to remain throughout fiscal [year 2026] and likely into fiscal [year 2027].”

RAM shortage drives higher prices, lower specs

HP’s CFO noted that a third of the margin for HP’s Personal Systems business comes from non-RAM-related categories, including IT services and peripherals. However, HP has also raised PC prices to keep making money while paying significantly more for RAM.

RAM now represents 35 percent of bill of materials for HP PCs Read More »

WBD says Paramount’s new, higher offer could be “superior” to Netflix’s

acquisitions, HBO Max, mergers, netflix, Paramount Skydance, streaming, Tech, warner bros. discovery / Rejus Almole / February 24, 2026

Paramount Skydance increased its bid for Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) from $30 per share to $31 per share, WBD said today. Amid a competing offer from Netflix for WBD’s movie studios and streaming businesses, WBD said that Paramount’s new bid “could reasonably be expected to lead to a ‘Company Superior Proposal.’”

Under its revamped offer, Paramount would also pay the $7 billion regulatory termination fee that would arise should a Paramount-WBD merger fail to close due to antitrust regulation.

The company owned by David Ellison also said it would pay $0.25 per share for every day the deal doesn’t close, starting on September 30, rather than the previous start date of December 31.

Paramount previously agreed to pay the $2.8 billion termination fee that WBD would be subject to if it canceled its merger deal with Netflix.

Netflix has offered $27.75 per share for a smaller part of WBD’s overall business. Netflix is looking to pay all-cash for WBD’s film studios, intellectual property, HBO, and streaming services, including HBO Max, but not any of WBD’s other cable channels.

WBD’s board has not decided if Paramount’s revamped offer is better than what Netflix has offered. If the board makes that determination, Netflix will have four days to present a better offer.

It’s unclear if Netflix would be willing to pay more for WBD’s streaming and movie businesses than what it’s already offered. The streaming giant hasn’t commented on Paramount’s new offer yet, but on Friday, co-CEO Ted Sarandos told Variety that the people in charge of Netflix are “super-disciplined buyers.”

“We have a reputation for such so that I’m willing to walk away and let someone else overpay for things. We have a rich history of that,” he added.

Regardless of the ultimate buyer, any WBD merger is expected to face intense regulatory scrutiny, lead to higher subscription prices, and have a lasting impact on Hollywood.

WBD says Paramount’s new, higher offer could be “superior” to Netflix’s Read More »

DJI sues the FCC for “carelessly” restricting its drones

dji, Drones, FCC, Policy, Tech, unnmanned aircraft systems / Mike M. / February 24, 2026

DJI, the most popular consumer drone maker, is suing over the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)’s import ban against new, foreign-made drones, which has been in effect since December 23, 2025.

On Tuesday, the Shenzhen-headquartered company filed a petition [PDF] with the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit that seeks to overturn the FCC’s decision to list DJI on its Covered List. The Covered List includes communications equipment and services that are “deemed to pose an unacceptable risk to the national security of the United States or the security and safety of United States persons,” per the FCC.

In its petition dated February 20, 2026, DJI said:

Petitioners seek review of the Ruling on the ground that the FCC exceeded its statutory authority, failed to observe statutorily required procedures, and violated the Fifth Amendment when it purported to add DJI’s products to the Covered List. Petitioners respectfully request his Court hold unlawful, vacate, enjoin, and set aside the Ruling and grant any other relief that the Court finds proper.

In January, the FCC exempted a limited number of foreign-made drones, including some coming from Europe, until the end of this year. The FCC also provided exemptions for some foreign-made critical drone components, including those from Japanese companies Sony and Panasonic, and South Korean company Samsung. The FCC hasn’t exempted any drones or drone parts made in China.

In a December 22 statement, the FCC said that “criminals, hostile foreign actors, and terrorists can use [drones] to present new and serious threats to our homeland.” The FCC said at the time that it made its decision about the ban after a review by an Executive Branch interagency body review that it said had “appropriate national security expertise” and “was convened by the White House.”

DJI reportedly requested that the US government audit its devices multiple times before the US issued the import ban.

In a company statement shared with Bloomberg today, DJI said:

Despite repeated efforts to engage with the government, DJI has never been given the chance to provide information to address or refute any concerns. These procedural and substantive deficiencies violate the Constitution and federal law.

In a statement to Reuters today, DJI also said that the FCC’s decision “carelessly restricts DJI’s business in the US and summarily denies U.S. customers access to its latest technology.”

DJI sues the FCC for “carelessly” restricting its drones Read More »

Meta could end up owning 10% of AMD in new chip deal

AI, AMD, Meta, syndication, Tech / Tim Belzer / February 24, 2026

Su said the warrant structure would help “make sure that we are always a clear seat at the table when [Meta] are thinking about what they need next.”

Meta’s chief executive Mark Zuckerberg said he expected AMD to be “an important partner for many years to come.”

Meta has said that it will almost double its AI infrastructure spending this year to as much as $135 billion, as US tech giants rush to build the data centers to train and run AI software. It is already one of AMD’s biggest AI chip customers.

“We don’t believe that a single silicon solution will work for all of our workloads,” said Santosh Janardhan, Meta’s head of infrastructure. “There’s a place for Nvidia, there’s a place for AMD and… there’s a place for our own custom silicon as well. We need all three.”

Under the deal, AMD will build a custom version of its MI450 AI chips for Meta. They will be used primarily for “inference” workloads, the process of running models after they have been trained.

The chips need 6 gigawatts of power—equivalent to the amount required by 5 million US households for a year.

Increasingly creative funding arrangements to support massive AI infrastructure build-outs have emerged in recent years, leading to warnings about circular financing.

AMD has, for example, helped data center builder Crusoe secure a $300 million loan from Goldman Sachs by offering a backstop guaranteeing the use of its chips if Crusoe is unable to find customers after installing them in an Ohio facility.

Tech giants such as Meta, historically flush with cash, are meanwhile facing the prospect of tapping bond and equity markets or stemming capital returns to shareholders to help fund their unprecedented infrastructure plans. The Facebook and Instagram parent raised $30 billion in October, marking its biggest bond sale to date.

Meta could end up owning 10% of AMD in new chip deal Read More »

Panasonic, the former plasma king, will no longer make its own TVs

panasonic, Tech, TVs / Kris Guyer / February 23, 2026

Panasonic, once revered for its plasma TVs, is giving up on making its own TV sets. Today, it announced that Chinese company Skyworth will take over manufacturing, marketing, and selling Panasonic-branded TVs.

Skyworth is a Shenzhen-headquartered TV brand. The company claims to be “a top three global provider of the Android TV platform.” In July, research firm Omdia reported that Skyworth was one of the top-five TV brands by sales revenue in Q1 2025; however, Skyworth hasn’t been able to maintain that position regularly.

Panasonic made its announcement at a “launch event,” FlatpanelsHD reported today. During the event, a Panasonic representative reportedly said:

Under the agreement the new partner will lead sales, marketing, and logistics across the region, while Panasonic provide expertise and quality assurance to uphold its renowned audiovisual standards with full joint development on top-end OLED models.

Panasonic also said that it will provide support “for all Panasonic TVs sold up to March 2026 and all those available from April.”

Skyworth-made Panasonic TVs will be sold in the US and Europe. In the latter geography, the companies are aiming for double-digit market share.

Panasonic’s wavering TV business

Panasonic has been wavering on its commitment to the TV business for at least 12 years.

When plasma ruled the living room, Panasonic dominated the market. In 2010, Panasonic controlled 40.7 percent of the plasma panel market, beating Samsung (33.7 percent) and LG (23.2 percent), according to research from consultancy DisplaySearch. But in March 2014, Panasonic quit making plasma TVs, pointing to increasing interest in flat-screen LCD TVs and economic challenges derived from the bankruptcy of global investment bank Lehman Brothers. At the time, Panasonic reportedly hadn’t made money off of its popular, high-contrast plasma TVs for years.

Panasonic, the former plasma king, will no longer make its own TVs Read More »

Meta’s flagship metaverse service leaves VR behind

gaming, horizon worlds, Meta, metaverse, Mixed Reality, quest, Tech, vr / Paul Patrick / February 20, 2026

Some of the changes—like the removal of individual worlds from the VR store—are presented by the company as efforts to make the store a better discovery platform for third-party developers.

In general, Meta frames many of its recent moves as a pivot away from first-party development of VR experiences to a focus on a third-party developer ecosystem, with stats like “86% of the effective time people spend in their VR headsets is with third-party apps.”

“We’ll continue to support the third-party community through strategic partnerships and targeted investments—as we have since the beginning,” writes Meta Reality Labs VP of Content Samantha Ryan.

Meta launched a Horizon Worlds mobile app last year and found it attracted an influx of new users interested in the service’s social gaming aspects, except for the VR element. It seems that the mobile launch was successful enough to merit focusing the entire service on that platform and audience, rather than shutting it down amid the other closures of internal content projects.

As far as we know, Meta plans to continue to design, make, and sell VR hardware and maintain the storefronts that third-party developers sell on for those platforms. It won’t make much content in-house, and you don’t see much talk about the promise of an all-encompassing, transformational metaverse anymore.

Instead, Meta’s speculative investment appears focused on smart glasses, as well as AI models, technologies, and applications.

Meta’s flagship metaverse service leaves VR behind Read More »

Rubik’s WOWCube adds complexity, possibility by reinventing the puzzle cube

puzzles, Reviews, Rubik's Cube, Tech, Toys / Kris Guyer / February 19, 2026

Technology is a double-edged sword in the $399 Rubik’s Cube-inspired toy.

There’s something special about the gadget that “just works.” Technology can open opportunities for those devices but also complicate and weigh down products that have done just fine without things like sensors and software.

So when a product like the beloved Rubik’s Cube gets stuffed with wires, processors, and rechargeable batteries, there’s demand for it to be not just on par with the original—but markedly better.

The Cubios Rubik’s WOWCube successfully breathes fresh life into the classic puzzle, but it’s also an example of when too much technology can cannibalize a gadget’s main appeal.

Rubik's WOWCube with hearts screensaver — The WOWCube showing off one of its screensavers. Credit: Scharon Harding

The WOWCube is a modern take on the Rubik’s Cube, an experiment from Hungarian architecture professor Ernő Rubik. Rubik aimed to make a structure composed of eight cubes that could move independently without the structure collapsing. The Rubik’s Cube became a widely distributed toy, an ’80s craze, and, eventually, a puzzle icon.

The Rubik’s Cube did all that without electronics and with a current MSRP of $10. The WOWCube takes the opposite approach. It’s $399 (as of this writing) and ditches the traditional 3×3 grid in favor of a 2×2 grid that can still do the traditional Rubik’s puzzle (albeit on a smaller scale) and perform a host of other tricks, including playing other games and telling the weather.

A smaller puzzle

The WOWCube’s 2×2 grid will disappoint hardcore puzzlers. There’s no way to play the traditional 3×3 version or even harder modified versions of the 2×2 grid. With only 24 squares, compared to the traditional 54, solving the WOWCube is significantly easier than solving a standard Rubik’s Cube. Although skilled players might enjoy the challenge of trying to solve the WOWCube extra rapidly.

For people who are awful at the original Rubik’s Cube, like this author, a more accessible version of the puzzle is welcome. Solving the new Rubik’s Cube feels more attainable and less frustrating.

The WOWCube is made up of eight modules. Each module has its own PCB, processor, gyroscope, and accelerometer. That may explain why Cubios went with this smaller design. The predicament also begs the question of whether electronics really improve the Rubik’s Cube.

Games and other apps

Once I played some of the WOWCube’s other games, I saw the advantage of the smaller grid. The 2×2 layout is more appropriate for games like White Rabbit, which is like Pac-Man but relies on tilting and twisting the cube, or Ladybug, where you twist the cube to create a path for a perpetually crawling ladybug. A central module might add unneeded complexity and space to these games and other WOWCube apps, like Pixel World, which is like a Rubik’s Cube puzzle but with images depicting global landmarks, or the WOWCube implementation of Gabriele Cirulli’s puzzle game, 2048.

At the time of writing, the WOWCube has 15 “games,” including the Rubik’s Cube puzzle. Most of the games are free, but some, such as Space Invaders Cubed ($30) and Sunny Side Up ($5), cost money.

Unlike the original Rubik’s Cube, which is content to live on your shelf until you need a brain exercise or go on a road trip, the WOWCube craves attention with dozens of colorful screens, sound effects, and efforts to be more than a toy.

With its Widgets app open, the cube can display information, like the time, temperature, and alerts, from a limited selection of messaging apps. More advanced actions, like checking the temperature for tomorrow or opening a WhatsApp message, are unavailable. There’s room for improvement, but further development, perhaps around features like an alarm clock or reminders, could turn the WOWCube into a helpful desk companion.

Technology overload

The new technology makes the Rubik’s Cube more versatile, exciting, and useful while bringing the toy back into the spotlight; at times, though, it also brought more complexity to a simple beloved concept.

Usually, to open an app, make a selection, or otherwise input yes, you “knock” on the side of WOWCube twice. You also have to shake the cube three times in order to exit an app, and you can’t open an app when another app is open. Being able to tap an icon or press an actual button would make tasks, like opening apps or controlling volume and brightness levels, easier. On a couple of occasions, my device got buggy and inadvertently turned off some, but not all, of its screens. The reliance on a battery and charging dock that plugs into a wall presents limitations, too.

The WOWCube showing its main menu while sitting next to its charging dock. Credit: Scharon Harding

The WOWCube’s makers brag of the device’s octads of speakers, processors, accelerometer, and gyroscopes, but I found the tilting mechanism unreliable and, at times, frustrating for doing things like highlighting an icon. Perhaps I don’t hold the WOWCube at the angles that its creators intended. There were also times when the image was upside down, and main information was displayed on a side of the cube that was facing away from me.

Rubik's WOWCube with pomodoro timer — One of my favorite features: WOWCube’s pomodoro-like timer app. Credit: Scharon Harding

The WOWCube has its own iOS and Android app, WOWCube Connect, which lets you connect the toy to your phone via Bluetooth and download new apps to the device via the dock’s Wi-Fi connection. You can also use the app to customize things like widgets, screensavers, and display brightness. If you don’t want to do any of those things, you can disconnect the WOWCube from your phone and reconnect it only when you want to.

I wasn’t able to use the iOS app unless I agreed to allow the “app to track activity.” This gives me privacy concerns, and I’ve reached out to Cubios to ask if there’s a way to use the app without the company tracking your activity.

New-age Rubik’s Cube

Cubios attempted to reinvent a classic puzzle with the WOWCube. In the process, it added bells and whistles that detract from what originally made Rubik’s Cubes great.

The actual Rubik’s Cube puzzle is scaled back, and the idea of spending hours playing with the cube is hindered by its finite battery life (the WOWCube can last up to five hours of constant play, Cubios claims). The device’s reliance on sensors and chips doesn’t always yield a predictable user experience, especially when navigating apps. And all of its tech makes the puzzle about 40 times pricier than the classic toy.

IPS screens, integrated speakers, and app integration add more possibilities, but some might argue that the Rubik’s Cube was sufficient without them. Notably, the WOWCube began as its own product and got the rights to use Rubik’s branding in 2024.

We’ve seen technology come for the Rubik’s Cube before. The Rubik’s Revolution we tested years ago had pressure-sensitive, LED-lit buttons for faces. In 2020, Rubik’s Connected came out with its own companion app. Clearly, there’s interest in bringing the Rubik’s Cube into the 20th century. For those who believe in that mission, the WOWCube is a fascinating new chapter for the puzzle.

I applaud Cubios’ efforts to bring the Rubik’s Cube new relevance and remain intrigued by the potential of new software-driven puzzles and uses. But it’s hard to overlook the downfalls of its tech reliance.

And the WOWCube could never replace the classic.

Scharon is a Senior Technology Reporter at Ars Technica writing news, reviews, and analysis on consumer gadgets and services. She’s been reporting on technology for over 10 years, with bylines at Tom’s Hardware, Channelnomics, and CRN UK.

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5 changes to know about in Apple’s latest iOS, macOS, and iPadOS betas

Apple, ios 26, ipados 26, macos 26 tahoe, Tech / Mike M. / February 18, 2026

The 26.3 updates were mostly invisible; these changes are more significant.

A collection of iPhones running iOS 26. Credit: Apple

This week, Apple released the first developer betas for iOS 26.4, iPadOS 26.4, macOS 26.4, and its other operating systems. On Tuesday, it followed those up with public beta versions of the same updates.

Usually released around the midpoint between one major iOS release and the next, the *.4 updates to its operating system usually include a significant batch of new features and other refinements, and if the first beta is any indication, this year’s releases uphold that tradition.

A new “Playlist Playground” feature will let Apple Music subscribers generate playlists with text prompts, and native support for video podcasts is coming to the Podcasts app. The Creator Studio version of the Freeform drawing and collaboration app is also available in the 26.4 updates, allowing subscribers to access stock images from Apple’s Content Hub and to insert AI-generated images.

But we’ve spent time digging through the betas to identify some of the more below-the-surface improvements and changes that Apple is testing. Some of these changes won’t come to the public versions of the software until a later release; others may be removed or changed between now and when the 26.4 update is made available to the general public. But generally, Apple’s betas give us a good idea of what the final release will look like.

One feature that hasn’t appeared in these betas? The new “more intelligent Siri” that Apple has been promising since the iOS 18 launch in 2024. Apple delayed the feature until sometime in 2026, citing that it wasn’t meeting the company’s standards for quality and reliability.

Reports indicated that the company had been planning to make the new Siri part of the 26.4 update, but as of earlier this month, Apple has reportedly decided to push it to the 26.5 release or later; even releasing it as part of iOS 27 in the fall would technically not run afoul of the “2026” promise.

Before we begin, the standard warning about installing beta software on hardware you rely on day to day. Although these point updates are generally more stable than the major releases Apple tests in the summer and fall, they can still contain major bugs and may cause your device to behave strangely. The first beta, in particular, tends to be the roughest—more stable versions will be released in the coming weeks, and we should see the final version of the update within the next couple months.

Charging limits for MacBooks

The macOS 26.4 update includes a slider for manually limiting your Mac’s battery charge percentage. Credit: Andrew Cunningham

In macOS 11 Big Sur, Apple added an on-by-default “Optimized Battery Charging” toggle to the operating system that would allow macOS to limit your battery’s charge percentage to 80 percent based on your usage and charging behavior. The idea is to limit the time your battery spends charging while full, something that can gradually reduce its capacity.

The macOS 26.4 update adds a new slider similar to the one in iOS, further allowing users to manually specify a maximum charge limit that is always observed, no matter what. It’s adjustable in 5 percent increments from 80 to 100 percent.

Anecdotal evidence suggests that limiting your charge percentage can lengthen the useful life of your battery and reduce wear, but there’s nothing that will fully prevent a battery from wearing out and losing capacity over time. It’s up to users to decide whether an immediately noticeable everyday hit to battery life is worth a slightly longer service life.

In the current macOS betas, enabling a charge limit manually doesn’t disable the Optimized Battery Charging feature the way it does in iOS. It’s unclear if this is an early bug or an intentional difference in how the feature is implemented in macOS.

End-to-end encryption (and other improvements) for non-Apple texting

Apple has been infamously slow to adopt support for the Rich Communication Services (RCS) messaging protocol used by most modern Android phones. Apple-to-Apple messaging was handled using iMessage, which supports end-to-end encryption among many other features. But for many years, it stuck by the aging SMS standard for “green bubble” texting between Apple’s platforms and others, to the enduring frustration of anyone with a single Android-using friend in a group chat.

Apple finally began supporting RCS messaging for major cellular carriers in iOS 18, and has slowly expanded support to other networks in subsequent releases. But Apple’s implementation still doesn’t support end-to-end encryption, which was added to the RCS standard about a year ago.

The 26.4 update is the first to begin testing encryption for RCS messages. But as with the initial RCS rollout, Apple is moving slowly and deliberately: for now, encrypted RCS messaging only works when texting between Apple devices, and not between Apple devices and Android phones. The feature also won’t be included in the final 26.4 release—it’s only included in the betas for testing purposes, and it “will be available to customers in a future software update for iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and watchOS.”

Encrypted iMessage and RCS chats will be labeled with a lock icon, much like how most web browsers label HTTPS sites.

To support encrypted messaging, Apple will jump from version 2.4 of the RCS Universal Profile to version 3.0. This should also enable support for several improvements in versions 2.5, 2.6, and 2.7 of the RCS standard, including previously iMessage-exclusive things like editing and recalling messages and replying to specific messages inline.

The return of the “Compact” Safari tab bar

The Compact tab view returns to Safari 26.4 and iPadOS 26.4. Credit: Andrew Cunningham

As part of the macOS 12 Monterey/iPadOS 15 beta cycle in 2021, Apple attempted a pretty radical redesign of the Safari browser that combined your tabs and the address bar into one, with the goal of increasing the amount of viewable space on the pages you were viewing. By the time both operating systems were released to the public, Safari’s default design had more or less reverted to its previous state, but the “compact” tab view lived on as an optional view in the settings for those who liked it.

Tahoe, the Safari 26 update, and iPadOS 26 all removed that Compact view entirely, though a version of the Compact view became the default for the iPhone version of Safari. The macOS 26.4, Safari 26.4, and iPadOS 26.4 updates restore the Compact tab option to the other versions of Safari.

On-by-default Stolen Device Protection

Originally introduced in the iOS 17.3 update, Apple’s “Stolen Device Protection” toggle for iPhones added an extra layer of security for users whose phones were stolen by people who had learned their passcodes. With Stolen Device Protection enabled, an iPhone that had been removed from “familiar locations, such as home or work” would require biometric Face ID or Touch ID authentication before accessing stored passwords and credit cards, erasing your phone, or changing Apple Account passwords. Normally, users can enter their passcodes as a fallback; Stolen Device Protection removes that fallback.

The iOS 26.4 update will make Stolen Device Protection on by default. Generally, you won’t notice a difference in how your phone behaves, but if you’re traveling or away from places where you regularly use your phone and you can’t use your passcode to access certain information, this is why.

It’s possible to switch off Stolen Device protection, but doing so requires biometric authentication, an hour-long wait, and then a second biometric authentication. (This extended wait is also required for disabling Find My, changing your phone’s passcode, or changing Touch ID and Face ID settings.)

Rosetta’s end approaches

The macOS 26.4 update will add the first user-facing notifications about the end of Rosetta support, currently slated for macOS 28 in 2027. Credit: Andrew Cunningham

Apple’s Rosetta 2 was a crucial support beam in the bridge from the Intel Mac era to the Apple Silicon era, enabling unmodified Intel-native apps to run on the M1 and later processors, with noticeable but manageable performance and responsiveness hits. As with the original Rosetta, it allowed Apple to execute a major CPU architecture switch while keeping it mostly invisible to Mac users, and it bought developers time to release Arm-native versions of their apps so they could take full advantage of the new chips.

But now that the transition is complete and the last Intel Macs are fading into the rearview, Apple plans to remove the translation layer from future versions of macOS, with some exceptions for games that rely on the technology.

Rosetta 2 won’t be completely removed until macOS 28, but macOS 26.4 will be the first to begin warning users about the end of Rosetta when they launch Intel-native apps. Those notifications link to an Apple support page about identifying and updating Intel-only apps to Apple Silicon-native versions (or universal binaries that support both architectures).

Apple has deployed this “adding notifications without removing functionality” approach to deprecating older apps before. Versions 10.13 and 10.14 of macOS would show users pop-ups about the end of support for 32-bit apps for a couple of years before that support was removed in macOS 10.15, for example.

Andrew is a Senior Technology Reporter at Ars Technica, with a focus on consumer tech including computer hardware and in-depth reviews of operating systems like Windows and macOS. Andrew lives in Philadelphia and co-hosts a weekly book podcast called Overdue.

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Google’s Pixel 10a arrives on March 5 for $499 with specs and design of yesteryear

android, Google, pixel 10a, smartphones, Tech / Mike M. / February 18, 2026

It’s that time of year—a new budget Pixel phone is about to hit virtual shelves. The Pixel 10a will be available on March 5, and pre-orders go live today. The 9a will still be on sale for a while, but the 10a will be headlining Google’s store. However, you might not notice unless you keep up with the Pixel numbering scheme. This year’s A-series Pixel is virtually identical to last year’s, both inside and out.

Last year’s Pixel 9a was a notable departure from the older design language, but Google made few changes for 2026. We liked that the Pixel 9a emphasized battery capacity and moved to a flat camera bump, and this time, it’s really flat. Google says the camera now sits totally flush with the back panel. This is probably the only change you’ll be able to identify visually.

Specs at a glance: Google Pixel 9a vs. Pixel 10a
Phone	Pixel 9a	Pixel 10a
SoC	Google Tensor G4	Google Tensor G4
Memory	8GB	8GB
Storage	128GB, 256GB	128GB, 256GB
Display	1080×2424 6.3″ pOLED, 60–120 Hz, Gorilla Glass 3, 2700 nits (peak)	1080×2424 6.3″ pOLED, 60–120 Hz, Gorilla Glass 7i, 3000 nits (peak)
Cameras	48 MP primary, f/1.7, OIS; 13 MP ultrawide, f/2.2; 13 MP selfie, f/2.2	48 MP primary, f/1.7, OIS; 13 MP ultrawide, f/2.2; 13 MP selfie, f/2.2
Software	Android 15 (at launch), 7 years of OS updates	Android 16, 7 years of OS updates
Battery	5,100 mAh, 23 W wired charging, 7.5 W wireless charging	5,100 mAh, 30 W wired charging, 10 W wireless charging
Connectivity	Wi-Fi 6e, NFC, Bluetooth 5.3, sub-6 GHz 5G, USB-C 3.2	Wi-Fi 6e, NFC, Bluetooth 6.0, sub-6 GHz 5G, USB-C 3.2
Measurements	154.7×73.3×8.9 mm; 185 g	153.9×73×9 mm; 183 g

Google also says the new Pixel will have a slightly upgraded screen. The resolution, size, and refresh rate are unchanged, but peak brightness has been bumped from 2,700 nits to 3,000 nits (the same as the base model Pixel 10). Plus, the cover glass has finally moved beyond Gorilla Glass 3 to Gorilla Glass 7i, which supposedly has improved scratch and drop protection.

Google notes that more of the phone is constructed from recycled material, 100 percent for the aluminum frame and 81 percent for the plastic back. There’s also recycled gold, tungsten, cobalt, and copper inside, amounting to about 36 percent of the phone’s weight. The phone also continues to have a physical SIM slot, which was removed from the Pixel 10 series last year. The device’s USB-C 3.2 port can also charge slightly faster than the 9a (30 W versus 23 W), and wireless charging has gone from 7.5 W to 10 W. There are no Qi2 magnets inside, though.

Internally, the Pixel 10a is even more like its predecessor. Unlike past A-series phones, this one doesn’t have the latest Tensor chip—it’s sticking with the same Tensor G4 from the 9a. That’s a bummer, as the G5 was a bigger leap than most of Google’s chip upgrades. The company says it stuck with the G4 to “balance affordability and performance.”

Google’s Pixel 10a arrives on March 5 for $499 with specs and design of yesteryear Read More »

RAM shortage hits Valve’s four-year-old Steam Deck, now available “intermittently”

gaming, ram shortage, steam deck, steamos, Tech, valve / Tim Belzer / February 17, 2026

Earlier this month, Valve announced it was delaying the release of its new Steam Machine desktop and Steam Frame VR headset due to memory and storage shortages that have been cascading across the PC industry since late 2025. But those shortages are also coming for products that have already launched.

Valve had added a note to its Steam Deck page noting that the device would be “out-of-stock intermittently in some regions due to memory and storage shortages.” None of Valve’s three listed Steam Deck configurations are currently available to buy, nor are any of the certified refurbished Steam Deck configurations that Valve sometimes offers.

Valve hasn’t announced any price increases for the Deck, at least not yet—the 512GB OLED model is still listed at $549 and the 1TB version at $649. But the basic 256GB LCD model has been formally discontinued now that it has sold out, increasing the Deck’s de facto starting price from $399 to $549. Valve announced in December that it was ending production on the LCD version of the Deck and that it wouldn’t be restocked once it sold out.

The Steam Deck’s hardware is four years old this month, and faster hardware with better chips and higher-resolution screens have been released in the years since. But those Ryzen Z1 and Z2 chips aren’t always dramatically faster than the Deck’s semi-custom AMD chip; many of those handhelds are also considerably more expensive than the OLED Deck’s $549 starting price. When it’s in stock, the Deck still offers compelling performance and specs for the price.

RAM shortage hits Valve’s four-year-old Steam Deck, now available “intermittently” Read More »